Technology

Intel K vs KF vs F: Which Processor is Right for You?

Intel K vs KF vs F Which Processor is Good

The terms “K,” “KF,” and “F” might have appeared while you were browsing for an Intel CPU and you might have been confused as to what they meant. These letters stand for numerous CPU varieties with various features and performance levels. The primary differences between Intel K, KF, and F processors will be covered in this post so you may pick the one that works best for you.

Intel K processors were designed for gamers and enthusiasts who need the best performance. They have multipliers that may be unlocked, making it easier to overclock and boost the performance of the processor. There are two popular K processor models: Core i5-7600K and Core i9-10900K. High-end workstations and gaming PCs typically use these processors.

The Core i5-7600K and the Core i9-10900K are two well-known instances of K CPUs. High-end workstations and gaming PCs frequently use these processors.

KF CPUs from Intel are comparable to K processors, however, they lack an integrated graphics processor (IGP). To display images on your monitor, you will therefore need to use a separate graphics card.

If you want to overclock your processor without worrying about overheating or if you’re designing a tiny form factor PC, KF processors are a suitable option.

Processors with the KF moniker include the Core i5-10600KF and Core i9-11900KF. These processors are often found in workstations and gaming PCs with specialized graphics cards.

Table of Contents

Intel K processors

High-performance processors with gaming and enthusiasts in mind are Intel K processors. The fact that K CPUs have unlocked multipliers makes it simpler to overclock the processor and is one of their distinguishing characteristics.

Through overclocking, you can increase your processor’s performance by using a frequency that is higher than the factory setting. If you want your computer to run faster, this can be helpful, but it can also increase the risk of overheating and voiding the processor’s warranty.

The Core i5-7600K and Core i9-10900K are two CPUs from Intel that are examples of the K series. These CPUs are frequently found in high-end workstations and gaming PCs, where their added performance might be beneficial.

Intel KF processors

Intel KF CPUs are high-performance processors made for enthusiasts and gamers, just like K processors. To display graphics on your monitor, you must utilize a separate graphics card because KF CPUs lack an integrated graphics processor (IGP).

One of the primary distinctions between K and KF processors is that KF processors are incompatible with PCs without a dedicated graphics card due to the absence of an IGP.

The processor can use less power and produce less heat as a result of the absence of an IGP in specific circumstances, though. Building a tiny form factor PC or wanting to overclock your processor without worrying about overheating might both benefit from this.

The Core i5-10600KF and the Core i9-11900KF are two instances of Intel KF CPUs. These processors are frequently found in high-end workstations and gaming PCs that include a dedicated graphics card.

Intel F processors

In that they lack an integrated graphics processor, Intel F CPUs are comparable to KF processors. F processors, on the other hand, are made for consumers who are more cost-conscious and seeking a decent mix between performance and value. Although F processors normally cost less than K and KF processors, they function at a lesser level.

The absence of an IGP is one of the primary distinctions between F and non-F CPUs. This implies that using a separate graphics card to display images on your monitor will increase the cost of your computer as a whole.

The processor can use less power and produce less heat as a result of the absence of an IGP in specific circumstances, though.

The Core i3-10100F and the Pentium Gold G6400F are two instances of Intel F CPUs. These CPUs are frequently found in entry-level gaming PCs and low-cost workstations because of their reasonable prices and solid performance.

Decoding the Differences: A Comprehensive Guide to Intel K, KF, and F Processors

If you’re looking for an Intel processor, you may have seen the letters “K,” “KF,” and “F” and wondered what they stood for. These letters stand for several processor subtypes that provide various functionality and performance levels. We’ll go over the main distinctions among Intel K, KF, and F processors in this part so you can choose the one that’s best for you.

For enthusiasts and gamers who want the highest performance, Intel K processors were created. They have multipliers that can be unlocked, which makes it simpler to overclock and increase the processor’s performance.

The Core i5-7600K and the Core i9-10900K are two common K processor models. These processors are frequently found in high-end workstations and gaming PCs.

Similar to Intel K processors, Intel KF processors lack an integrated graphics processor (IGP). This indicates that if you want to see visuals on your monitor, you’ll need to use a different graphics card.

If you’re designing a tiny form factor PC or want to overclock your processor without worrying about overheating, KF processors are a fantastic option. The Core i5-10600KF and the Core i9-11900KF are two examples of KF CPUs. These processors are often found in workstations with dedicated graphics cards and gaming PCs.

Intel F CPUs are made for people on a tight budget that seek high performance at a lesser price. They lack an IGP, thus if you want to see visuals on your monitor, you’ll need to utilize a different graphics card.

Although F processors are more affordable than K and KF processors, they perform less well overall. The Core i3-10100F and Pentium Gold G6400F are two examples of F CPUs. These processors are frequently found in low-cost workstations and entry-level gaming PCs.

https://youtu.be/4a9DBU4sROA

Intel CPU Letters Explained (https://youtu.be/4a9DBU4sROA)

K, KF, or F: Understanding the Pros and Cons of Intel’s Processor Options

Let’s examine the benefits and drawbacks of each Intel K, KF, and F CPU type in more detail now that we have figured out how they differ from one another.

The most powerful processors are Intel K models, but they are also the priciest. They are simpler to overclock because their multipliers are unlocked, but if you want to do so, you run the risk of them overheating. For enthusiasts and gamers who are willing to pay for the finest performance, K CPUs are the ideal choice.

The lack of an integrated graphics processor (IGP) and the strong performance of Intel KF CPUs might occasionally be advantageous. They may not be appropriate for use in PCs without a dedicated graphics card because they do not perform as well as K processors. KF processors are a suitable option for workstations and gaming PCs that have a dedicated graphics card or for tiny form factor PCs without an IGP.

Although Intel F CPUs are reasonably priced, they perform less well than K and KF processors. Since they lack an IGP, an external graphics card must be used to display images on your monitor. F processors work well in entry-level gaming PCs and for consumers on a tight budget.

Unlock Your PC’s Potential: A Comparison of Intel K, KF, and F Processors

The type of CPU you select can have a significant impact on how well your PC performs. For enthusiasts and gamers who need the finest potential performance from their PC, Intel K CPUs are the ideal option since they offer the highest performance levels.

They feature multipliers that can be unlocked, which makes it simpler to overclock and increase the processor’s performance. However, K processors are also the most costly and, if you want to overclock them, they could be more prone to overheating.

The lack of an integrated graphics processor (IGP) and the strong performance of Intel KF CPUs might occasionally be advantageous.

They are a fantastic option for tiny form factor PCs without an IGP as well as workstations and gaming PCs with a dedicated graphics card. Although KF processors are a little less costly than K processors, they do not perform as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucNewAZ8g4E

Creators, PLEASE DON'T Make This Mistake When Buying Intel 12th Gen! ❗❗ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucNewAZ8g4E)

Intel Processor Showdown: K vs KF vs F – What’s the Best Choice for Your Needs?

F processor can be the best option for you if you have a limited budget and demand exceptional value. Although F processors have lower performance levels than K and KF processors, they nonetheless deliver decent performance for the money. Since they lack an IGP, an external graphics card must be used to display images on your monitor. F processors work well in entry-level gaming PCs and for consumers on a tight budget.

You might be wondering which Intel K, KF, or F CPU is the best option for your needs now that we’ve covered the main distinctions between them. The key factors to think about while choosing between K, KF, and F processors are outlined below:

For enthusiasts and gamers who need the finest potential performance from their PC, Intel K CPUs are the ideal option since they offer the highest performance levels. Although they are the priciest, they feature multipliers that can be unlocked, making it simpler to overclock the processor and improve performance.
The lack of an integrated graphics processor (IGP) and the strong performance of Intel KF CPUs might occasionally be advantageous. They are a fantastic option for tiny form factor PCs without an IGP as well as workstations and gaming PCs with a dedicated graphics card. Although KF processors are a little less costly than K processors, they do not perform as well.
Although Intel F CPUs are reasonably priced, they perform less well than K and KF processors. Since they lack an IGP, an external graphics card must be used to display images on your monitor. F processors work well in entry-level gaming PCs and for consumers on a tight budget.

Processor Type	Unlocked Multipliers	Integrated Graphics Processor (IGP)	Performance Level	Price	Best Use Cases
Intel K	Yes	Yes	High	High	Gaming PCs, high-end workstations, enthusiasts looking for the highest performance
Intel KF	Yes	No	High	High	Gaming PCs with dedicated graphics cards, high-end workstations with dedicated graphics cards, small form factor PCs, enthusiasts looking to overclock without worrying about overheating
Intel F	No	No	Moderate	Low	Entry-level gaming PCs, budget workstations, budget-conscious consumers looking for good value

Here is a brief explanation of each column in the table:

Processor Type: The next column lists the various Intel processor types that are being contrasted: KF, F, and K.
Unlocked Multipliers: The presence or absence of unlocked multipliers, which facilitate simpler overclocking, is indicated by this column for each processor. In contrast to F CPUs, K and KF processors feature unlocked multipliers.
Integrated Graphics Processor (IGP): This column indicates whether or not the processor includes an integrated graphics processor, which enables the processor to display images on a monitor without the need for an additional graphics card. While KF processors lack an IGP, K and F processors do.
Performance Level: This column displays the processor’s overall performance level, with “High” denoting the maximum level of performance and “Moderate” denoting a more average level. The highest performance level is achieved by K processors, followed by KF processors, and finally F processors.
Price: “High” denotes the most costly processors, while “Low” denotes the least expensive. This column shows the overall price range for each type of CPU. The most expensive processors are typically K and KF, whereas the least expensive processors are typically F processors.
Best Use Cases: The situations or uses that are best suited to each type of processor are listed in this column. The best processors for gaming PCs and workstations with dedicated graphics cards are K processors, KF processors, and F processors, respectively. The least expensive and entry-level gaming PCs should use F processors.

Conclusion

The ideal option for you will rely on your demands in terms of performance and price. Intel K, KF, and F CPUs all provide varying degrees of performance and functionality.

For enthusiasts and gamers who need the finest potential performance from their PC, K CPUs are the ideal option since they provide the highest performance levels. KF processors are a suitable option for workstations with a dedicated graphics card and gaming PCs since they provide high performance and lack an IGP.

F processors are reasonably priced yet perform less well than K and KF processors. They work well with entry-level gaming PCs and users on a budget.

FAQ’s

What distinguishes Intel K, KF, and F processors from one another?

Intel KF processors lack an integrated GPU, F processors are locked and do not support overclocking, while K processors are unlocked and do.

What similarities and differences exist between the K, KF, and F processors from Intel?

In general, K and KF processors are more potent and capable of higher performance than F processors, but they also use more energy and produce more heat.

Which processor is ideal for high-performance work or gaming?

Gaming or high-performance jobs like video editing or 3D rendering may benefit from Intel K or KF processors.

Can I overclock a K or KF processor from Intel?

Yes, Intel K and KF processors can be overclocked and unlocked.

Are there any changes between the Intel K, KF, and F processors in terms of power usage or heat output?

Compared to F processors, K and KF processors typically consume more power and produce more heat.

I have an Intel F processor; can I upgrade to a K or KF processor?

It is feasible to upgrade from an Intel F processor to a K or KF processor, but in order to assure compatibility, you might also need to change your motherboard and other components.

When deciding between Intel K, KF, and F processors, are there any compatibility difficulties or other things to take into account?

When deciding between Intel K, KF, and F CPUs, you should take into account your unique objectives and goals, your budget, your motherboard’s compatibility with other components, and the differences in features and capabilities.

Are there any further sources (websites, discussion boards, etc.) that can assist me in choosing the best processor type for me?

You may compare and select the best processor for your needs using a variety of online resources, including forums and websites devoted to computer hardware. Before making a choice, it is usually a good idea to conduct your own study and evaluate the features and specs of several CPUs.

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Technology

Fluent Ventures backs replicated startup models in emerging markets

A new venture firm aims to prove that the most successful startup ideas don’t have to be born or scaled in Silicon Valley.

Fluent Ventures, a global early-stage fund, is backing founders replicating proven business models from Western markets in fintech, digital health, and commerce across emerging markets. The more cynical might describe this as a clone factory, but founder and managing partner Alexandre Lazarow calls the firm’s strategy “geographic alpha.”

Fluent’s premise is that many of the world’s most valuable startups are not entirely new concepts that haven’t been tried before, but more simply, local adaptations of models that have already succeeded elsewhere.

The San Francisco-based firm, founded in 2023, is deploying $40 million across a fund, an incubator, and a structured co-investment vehicle with limited partners. It is writing initial checks of $250,000 to $2 million from pre-seed to Series A and plans to make 22–25 investments, with follow-ons.

“We are contrarians at heart,” said Lazarow, who previously invested at Omidyar Network and Cathay Innovation. “We believe the world’s best innovations are not the exclusive purview of Silicon Valley.”

Fluent is not exactly working in a bubble: the last decade has seen a massive decentralization in the technology industry. In 2013, just four cities had produced a unicorn. Today, that number exceeds 150.

And that has been on the back of rinse and repeat, with many of the top tech players in emerging markets mirroring successful startups that have been built elsewhere, such as Amazon clones in e-commerce, Stripe clones in payments, and neo-banking apps in fintech. The first breakout neo-bank was Tinkoff from Russia. “That movement scaled globally, and [it] was one of the insights that motivated my investments in Chime in the U.S. and Banco Neon in Brazil,” said Lazarow.

Lazarow insists Fluent doesn’t just copy-paste.

“That rarely works, in our opinion. Local adaptation is critical,” he said.

The firm points to ride-hailing as an example. Uber may have pioneered the category, but in Indonesia, Go-Jek localized it by incorporating motorcycle taxis and super app functionality similar to China’s WeChat. Now Uber Eats is essentially chasing that evolution, Lazarow argues.

To that point, Fluent Ventures, in addition to finding adapted models, screens for local product-market fit and founder-market alignment.

While the firm passed on several construction marketplaces globally, it backed BRKZ in Saudi Arabia, a localized take on India’s Infra.Market. The founder, a former Careem executive, was a strong operator in a region with surging infrastructure demand, Lazarow noted.

Despite calling itself a global fund, Lazarow says Fluent doesn’t aim for equal allocation across every geography. Instead, it goes deeper in the regions where it sees the most potential. Right now, that means a focus on Latin America, MENA, Africa, Southeast Asia, and selective U.S. markets.

Its current portfolio includes Minu, a Mexican employee wellness platform; Sabi, a Nigerian B2B commerce startup; Prima, a Brazil-based industrial marketplace; and Baton, a U.S. M&A platform for SMBs.

The firm says these companies have raised multiple follow-on rounds since Fluent’s early checks. Collectively, startups from Lazarow’s prior and current portfolios have generated over $30 billion in enterprise value, with seven reaching unicorn status.

Skeptics still question the exit landscape in emerging markets, perhaps especially since valuations have gone up in these markets, with more unicorns than a decade ago. Yet Fluent sees momentum building. IPOs of startups like Nubank, UiPath, Swiggy, and Talabat prove that global outcomes can emerge outside the U.S. and Europe — and then, as in the case of Nubank and UiPath, those companies can still go public in the U.S. if they choose.

“Exit markets are also maturing in these regions,” Lazarow remarks. “New secondary firms are rising. Stock markets are looking to build local listing capabilities. Yes, the U.S. has much more developed IPO and M&A markets. But under the hood, some of the largest and most profitable exits are already happening outside.”

Fluent has also built out a different kind of network around the kinds of founders it invests in. More than 75 unicorn founders and VCs back the fund, including David Vélez (Nubank), Nick Nash (Sea Group), Akshay Garg (Kredivo), and Sean Harper (Kin), alongside institutional LPs and family offices from around the world. According to Lazarow, many are active contributors, helping portfolio companies with talent, fundraising, and expansion.

The firm also relies on a small group of venture partners from ZenBusiness, Terminal, Kin, and Dell, bringing both sector depth and geographic reach.

In a world where venture capital might be rethinking overexposure to the U.S. and China, Fluent believes its approach offers LPs something few firms can: diversification.

“We believe the best ideas come from anywhere and scale everywhere,” says the partner whose firm claims a spot on Kauffman Fellows’ top‑returner index, thanks to his earlier personal stakes in Chime, ZenBusiness and Sidecar Health.

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Technology

Tesla profits drop 71% on weak sales and anti-Elon Musk sentiment

Tesla’s flailing sales figures have put the company closer to the red than it has been in years, according to financial results released Tuesday, threatening one of its biggest advantages over other EV players.

The electric automaker reported $409 million in net income on $19.3 billion in revenue after delivering almost 337,000 EVs in the first quarter of the year. The company’s net income reflects a 71% drop from the same quarter last year.

It was the worst quarter for Tesla deliveries in more than two years and came on the heels of the company’s first-ever year-to-year drop in sales. Tesla’s income was buffered by selling $595 million in zero-emissions tax credits, according to its earnings report — without those, it would have posted a loss.

And yet, Tesla stock rose in after-hours trading as investors put more weight on the company’s plans to begin production on an affordable EV in June and CEO Elon Musk’s comments during an earnings call that he would reduce his role with the Department of Government Efficiency to focus more attention on Tesla. Musk did not commit to ending his DOGE work altogether though, noting he may continue in some capacity through the remainder of President Donald Trump’s second term.

TechCrunch published a roundup of other Musk comments covering tariffs, robotaxis, AI, and EVs, during Tesla’s earnings call.

Tesla also cautioned shareholders about how the trade war may affect its business moving forward. The company said President Trump’s tariffs and “changing political sentiment” could have a “meaningful impact on demand for our products.”

The company noted the current tariffs, the bulk of which are directed at China, will have “a relatively larger impact on our Energy business compared to automotive.” Tesla said it is taking actions to stabilize the business in the medium to long term and focus on maintaining its health, but it also cautioned investors that it can’t say whether it will be able to grow sales this year.

Tesla is sticking to its ambitious (but mysterious) plans around making more affordable models, stating it remains on track for start of production of these vehicles in the first half of 2025. During the earnings call, Musk was more specific, stating production would begin in June.

These vehicles will use aspects of a next-generation platform that powers the robotaxi, but will rely on its existing one that powers the Model Y and Model 3, the company said in its shareholder’s letter. As such, these cheaper vehicles will be produced on the same manufacturing lines as the current vehicle lineup, the company said.

This flies in the face of a Reuters report from last week that claimed the first of these new EVs is delayed by months.

Tesla’s sales are up against a number of headwinds.

The company’s EV lineup is aging (though the sedans and SUVs have now all gotten face-lifts) and its newest product, the Cybertruck, is nowhere near the hit that CEO Elon Musk thought it could be. And Musk’s far-right politics, along with his involvement in the Trump administration, have created a sizable backlash to Tesla’s brand.

At the same time, Musk has oriented the company toward its Robotaxi and Optimus robot projects.

He has promised to launch an initial version of the Robotaxi service in Austin this June, with other cities potentially coming by the end of this year, but has been light on details about how it will work.

Musk has yet to demonstrate that Teslas are capable of driving themselves without human intervention despite years of making that promise. What’s more, The Information recently reported that an internal analysis done at Tesla showed the Robotaxi program would lose money for a long period of time even if it were to work.

At this time last year, Tesla was grappling with some gloomy numbers. In case you forgot, the company’s profits fell 55% to $1.13 billion in the first quarter of 2024 from the same period in 2023. Tesla said it was due to a protracted EV price-cutting strategy and “several unforeseen challenges” cut into the automaker’s bottom line.

Tesla tried to turn that profit ship around, but faced continued pressure. In Q2 of 2024, Tesla reported $1.5 billion in profit, down 45% from the same period in 2023. Profits were hit by a $622 million restructuring charge. Although it’s worth noting, that profit was padded by a record $890 million in regulatory credit sales.

This article originally published at 1:15 pm PT. It has since been updated with comments from Elon Musk and other executives from the earnings call.

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Technology

Manychat taps $140M to boost its business messaging platform with AI

Chatbots and other kinds of AI agents — and the companies that build them — may feel like a dime a dozen these days. But the truth is that, for both businesses and consumers, some may be infinitely more useful (and perhaps less dystopian) than others. Today, a startup that’s built a successful business around that concept is announcing a major growth round to expand its business. Manychat, which provides brands with a tool for managing and automating conversations and engagement across multiple messaging channels, has picked up $140 million led by Summit Partners.

The funding is coming on the heels of strong growth for the startup. Manychat today has around 1.5 million customers across 170 countries, with the client list including the likes of Nike, the New York Times and Yahoo (the current owner of TechCrunch) as well as individual creators and much smaller outfits.

CEO and co-founder Mike Yan said Manychat sends “billions” of messages annually on behalf of these users across TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and other chat platforms. The plan will be to use this latest Series B round of funding both to invest in R&D — in particular bringing more AI into the platform — as well as to boost the company’s sales, marketing and support globally.

Notably for a startup these days, Manychat is mostly profitable — mostly, because as Yan describes it, “We always operate on the edge of being kind of break even.”

Since launching a decade back in 2015, it has only raised around $23 million, mostly from this $18 million Series A round in 2019 led by Bessemer with participation from Flint Capital. (Manychat did not disclose what other investors are in this latest round beyond Summit.) The company is not giving out a valuation but it’s likely to be considerably higher than the modest $58 million post-money valuation PitchBook detailed for the Series A.

From Telegram to Instagram

Manychat’s trajectory mirrors both the rise of smartphone-based messaging apps over the last decade, as well as the growing opportunity around tooling for helping businesses to leverage that medium in a better way.

In 2015, the email inbox was starting to tip into becoming a spam-laden, tired, and over-used medium for businesses looking to use it for marketing.

Yan was coming off the back of a failed social app, and he himself was a Telegram user, one of a growing population of consumers using messaging apps for basic communications. When Telegram opened up its APIs, the lightbulb of inspiration went off for him and his co-founder Anton Morin.

“Telegram was actually one of the first western messaging apps to open up its APIs,” he recalled. “As users of Telegram ourselves, and we saw a clear job to be done.” Companies were using email to connect to users, he said, but that was not where users were spending time. “They should be using messaging apps actually to connect with customers, that’s where the new wave of communication is happening. That’s where the new consumer is.”

So he and Gorin built the first iteration of Manychat as a tool for creating chats for businesses on Telegram. It picked up enough traction to get them into the 500 Startups accelerator.

Then, when Facebook opened up its APIs for Messenger — making its own first-efforts to build AI chatbots — things really started to take off. By the time Manychat raised its Series A in 2019, it was already reaching 350 million users on the platform monthly with billions of messages and an enviable open rate of 80%.

Additional APIs opening up across other Meta-owned platforms as well as TikTok have boosted that growth. Users can still market on Telegram, too, Yan said, although these days that is just a small percentage of its traffic. For the record, Instagram is far and away the most engaged and active platform for the company today, Yan said.

Manychat’s founding and a large chunk of its growth preceded the rise of generative AI and the emergency of AI chatbots like Anthropic’s Claude, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and Google’s Gemini, among others. In fact, the earlier descriptions of the product touted how it provided a “smart blend of automation and personal outreach” to customers, who were using its no-code platform to build chatbots to grow social followers, collect email addresses, respond to comments and set up flows via DM links to request products or more information on something.

Anchoring its product around encouraging further actions, Yan said, is what sets it apart from most chatbots on the market right now, including most GenAI chatbots.

Sophia Popova, the Summit partner who led the investment and is joining the board of the startup, believes that Manychat’s approach of building out an engagement layer that’s seen a lot of success so far makes it a solid bet for the next wave of activity on messaging platforms.

“Our thesis hinges on a greater proportion of commerce dollars going through social messaging apps,” she said in an interview. “You need to be always on and engaging 24/7. That is what customers expect and Manychat is hitting the nail on the head.” In contrast, she said, when considering the DNA of the AI chatbots — at least what is in the market today — “very few of them are geared towards personalizing conversation in a way that drives conversion to revenue.”

If you want a help desk chatbot, there are “myriad” tools out there, but actually very few that are engaging to sell or elicit other responses from users in the way that Manychat has done, she added.

Yet given the pace of development — and the drive that many of the AI startups have to generate revenue to offset their huge cash burn — this is a gap that may not be there for long, one reason why Manychat is working to build in more AI features to improve its offering.